Page 53 of Destined for Shadows
Bartol started to tune out the conversation since it was between husband and wife, but before he could, something she said made his blood run cold.
“Cori was attacked,” Melena told Lucas in an urgent voice. “The paramedics and police are at her tattoo shop now, but according to Bambi, she’s lost a lot of blood. I’m stuck at the office for the next hour for a meeting I can’t miss. It would help if one of you could get there before they take her to the hospital and see how bad she is. Paula treating her might be better.”
Bartol stiffened. Paula was a vampire and doctor for the supernatural community. If Cori’s condition was severe enough, she might need too much of the vampire’s blood, and it would turn her. He was the only one who knew how careful they needed to be when handling her treatment.
While Lucas continued talking to his wife on the phone, Bartol flashed into the tattoo parlor. Since it was crowded with emergency personnel, he chose to arrive in the supply room. As soon as he solidified, he hurried toward the front of the shop where paramedics hovered over Cori as they attempted to staunch her wounds. She was pale, her shirt and jeans bloody and torn, and her eyes were closed. If not for her breath fogging up the oxygen mask on her face, he might have worried she was dead. He’d left her for only a few hours to track down her former husband, and now she was fighting for her life. Bartol should have let Lucas handle the vampires and stayed with her instead.
“Her pulse is weak and thready, and she’s going into shock,” one paramedic said. “We need to get her loaded up now!”
Bartol’s vision swam, and he grew lightheaded. Cori was such a strong and vital woman that he could hardly believe she was lying so still and lifeless on the floor. This had to be someone else—not her. He’d seen more humans die during his time than he could count, and he’d had to get used to it happening again and again, but this one would not die. Not on his watch.
He pulled himself together and grabbed hold of one of the EMTs, yanking him to his feet. Before Bartol made a decision about what to do, he needed as much information as possible. “How bad is she?”
“Who are you?” the man asked, irritated to be taken from his patient.
A couple of policemen headed his way, and others were staring. He needed to resolve this situation swiftly for Cori’s sake. Bartol pushed his power out until he’d latched onto the minds of everyone in the immediate vicinity. His voice was thunderous when he spoke, “None of you will question my presence here, and you will fully cooperate with me.”
Everyone went back to what they were doing without a word. Bartol repeated his question to the paramedic, focusing his power on the one man so he could be sure to get the truth.
“She’s lost a lot of blood, but it doesn’t look like any major organs were damaged.” The human glanced over at Cori. “She should be okay as long as we get her to the hospital quickly. The other guy is worse.”
“Other guy? Do you mean the assailant?” Bartol asked.
The EMT pointed at a stretcher they were rolling out from the back. “We were told he was a customer she was working on when the attack happened. A knife went through his back and punctured his lung.”
“And the person who did this to them?”
The young man cleared his throat. “He’s dead. This female victim…” He gestured at Cori. “…shot him in the head and killed him. They’ve already taken his body away.”
Bartol caught movement from the corner of his eye. They were lifting Cori onto a stretcher. He caught the faint sound of a moan coming from her, though she didn’t open her eyes. He needed to decide on a course of action. Normally, he could think and act quickly, but when it came to what was best for this particular woman, he seemed to lose all reason.
On the one hand, she would probably survive if she went to the hospital, assuming the EMT’s assessment was correct. They would give her human blood to replace what she’d lost, which would be the safest route to take. On the other hand, it would mean she’d suffer until sunset when they could get a vampire out to heal her wounds. Then Bartol remembered Lucas’ twin brother, Micah, was a strong healer. It would take a lot of power, considering the extent of Cori’s injuries, and the process would be slower than with a vampire’s assistance, but it would be safer. They’d still need to replace the lost blood, though, which was likely the reason Melena had suggested Paula as the best option.
Lucas appeared next to him, using his power to make people ignore him. “How bad?”
“She’s in shock.” Bartol watched as the paramedics worked to strap Cori to the stretcher. His chest tightened a little more with every moment she didn’t open her hazel eyes and look at him. “She’s been stabbed twice and lost a lot of blood.”
“Taking her to Paula would be the fastest way to help her,” Lucas said.
“It’s too dangerous.” Bartol went on to explain what they’d learned from the mystic who had warned them. “Your brother could help as long as we can acquire human blood to replace what she has lost.”
Lucas grimaced. “He’s on a training exercise with some of the nerou. I don’t know his precise location at the moment, and it’s unlikely I’ll be able to reach him by phone, but it shouldn’t take long to track him down. Let the humans take her to the hospital so she can get a blood transfusion. By the time they finish, I should have Micah.”
They were beginning to roll Cori away on the stretcher with an IV bag attached to her arm and the oxygen mask still in place. Bartol couldn’t stand the idea of letting her out of his sight. “Fine. Find your brother as soon as you can and meet me at the hospital.”
“She will be fine,” Lucas said. He started to raise a comforting hand toward Bartol’s shoulder but stopped himself and cleared his throat. “I’ll see you again soon.”
He nodded. “I know.”
As soon as Lucas flashed away, Bartol rushed toward the ambulance. He waited until they’d loaded Cori inside before joining her. It was a tight space for him to be in with humans he didn’t know, but he would suffer the discomfort for her.
“Are you family?” another EMT asked. He hadn’t been in the shop when Bartol had compelled everyone.
“Uh, well…” It was such a simple question and easy enough to lie about it, but he still hesitated for a moment. “Yes.”
The man didn’t look convinced. Bartol pushed his power out and compelled him to not worry about it. The EMT relaxed, returning his attention to his patient. Someone shut the back doors, and a moment later they were on their way.
During the ride, they worked to keep Cori stable. Bartol listened to them note her vitals, unable to comprehend anything they said. There were so many things he still needed to learn before he would fit into this world. He felt useless and helpless. If only he’d been gifted with stronger healing abilities, he could act now, but the most he could do was minor injuries—nothing like this.
